Two dogs alerted a Derry homeowner Thursday afternoon that her garage was on fire, prompting her to call for help before any smoke detectors went off.

Two dogs alerted a Derry homeowner Thursday afternoon that her garage was on fire, prompting her to call for help before any smoke detectors went off.

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Updated: 12:23 PM EDT Aug 21, 2015

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WEBVTT FIREFIGHTERS SAY 5 MINUTES LATER IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY. HERE'S RAY BREWER WITH THE STORY FROM DERRY. RAY: FROM THE OUTSIDE, IT'S TOUGH TO TELL THERE WAS A FIRE HERE AT ALL, AND DEBBI COX SAYS DESPITE HAVING THAT FIRE, SHE CONSIDERS HERSELF EXTREMELY LUCKY. MEET BAILEY AND BANDIT. THAT'S THE SOUND THAT ALERTED DEBBI COX THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. BANDIT IS A BORDER COLLIE-BLUE HEELER MIX, BUT THURSDAY AFTERNOON HE WAS ALSO PART DALMATIAN. COX SAYS IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR HER DOGS TO BARK, BUT THIS TIME WAS DIFFERENT. DEBBI COX: INSTEAD OF OUT THE WINDOWS, THEY WERE LOOKING IN THIS DIRECTION AND THEIR TAILS WEREN'T WAGGING AND THE ONE DOG BANDIT WOULDN'T LEAVE MY SIDE. RAY: IT WAS JUST BEFORE 3:00 THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AND COX WHO WAS WORKING AT HOME ALONE, SAYS SHE FOLLOWED THE DOGS INTO THE FOYER. DEBBI: I COULD SEE THE SMOKE AND I COULD SMELL THE SMOKE, AND WHEN I LOOKED OVER THE RAILING INTO THE GARAGE, THERE'S A GLASS WINDOW THERE, AND ALL I COULD SEE WAS FLAMES. RAY: QUICKLY GRABBING THE DOGS ' LEASHES AND HER POCKETBOOK, COX HEADED FOR THE DOOR WHILE CALLING 911. WHEN FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED COX SAYS THEY SET UP A PERIMETER AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE FIREFIGHTERS HAD THINGS UNDER CONTROL. STILL COX SAYS THERE WERE SOME ANXIOUS MOMENTS AS SHE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE ACCELERANTS STORED IN HER GARAGE. DEBBI: WE HAVE SOME PAINT IN THE CABINETS OVER THERE, AND DRIVEWAY SEALER, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WE HAVE SOME WOOD PELLETS GETTING READY FOR THE WINTER, THE CAR WAS SITTING RIGHT HERE SO WE HAVE TIRES AND GAS TANKS THAT COULD HAVE EXPLODED. RAY: FORTUNATELY, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, AND WHILE THE FIRE OFFICIALLY REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION, COX SAYS SHE'S BEEN TOLD IT WAS LIKELY STARTED BY A RADIO. AND WHILE SMOKE DETECTORS IN THE HOME DID GO OFF, THE DOGS HAD ALERTED HER FIRST, AND THAT MAY HAVE SAVED THE HOME. AND FOR THEIR DEEDS, THE DOGS ARE REAPING THE BENEFITS. DEBBI: TYPICALLY THEY SLEEP IN THEIR DOG CRATES, BUT WE DIDN'T PUT THEM IN THEIR CRATES SO THEY COULD SLEEP WITH PEOPLE LAST NIGHT. RAY: WHILE COX IS VERY GRATEFUL THAT HER DOGS WERE BARKING, SHE ALSO WANTS TO THANK THE FIREFIGHTERS FOR THEIR PROMPT RESPONSE IN SAVING HER HOME. IN DERRY, RAY BREWER, WMUR NEWS

Woman says dogs' barking alerted her to fire

Two dogs alerted a Derry homeowner Thursday afternoon that her garage was on fire, prompting her to call for help before any smoke detectors went off.